It’s not hyperbole to say that this podcast has refined my way of thinking, sharpened my critical thinking skills, and ruined so many things I thought I loved because I wasn’t thinking about them too hard. Can a podcast make you a more deliberate, compassionate person? I think so. Love the serious episodes about heady topics but the occasional sprinkle of Hallmark holiday movie industrial complex is so good. This is the #1 podcast I recommend to others.

Easily the podcast I recommend to people more than any other. Nima and Adam analyze our culture and narratives in more sharply and critically than I can fund anywhere else. Anytime the issues of the day are brought in conversation, I know that there’s a meticulously cited episode breaking how the common narratives of the day manipulate our understanding of our world, how things work, how it might be harming us through a structural critique and offering different perspectives to challenge our idea of what’s possible. A fantastic and under appreciated pod.

I like how some of the reviews have people crying about you guys being dismissive to party lines, or calling you biased, but I really appreciate the leftist perspective. And of course the deep dives into the dark world of modern media. It’s mostly unbiased fact checking anyway, don’t see what their issue is. Love the show, thank you so much.

Their analysis and guests are top notch. It’s particularly helpful in peeling back layers of media that are thrown at us more frequently and across more mediums than ever before. The “data driven” and (continued) war on drug episodes are what drew me in. Keep it up guys!

It also probably gives you enough tools to analyze my use of essential as a review title. Incredible toolbox for staying sane in a truly ridiculous modern media environment

While I like the content, I could do without the smarminess and arrogant dismissal of everything that doesn’t conform to their views. I don’t see how tacitly telling me how to think via voice inflections and laughter is much different than the news media telling me how to think via their reporting.

Whatever happened to you guys should really be looked at. Some self-reflection is really needed. I can hear your response already in my head, just being dismissive and not listening, making assumptions and throwing around stereotypes. If you understand that people aren’t voting for a party as much as they are voting against the other party right now, then it seems like the leap shouldn’t be hard to make. Maybe the problem is you? (And it’s not just you, to be fair.)

So informative & engaging - highly recommend

Excellent. Critiques supported by thorough research. Honest and incredibly informative.

One of my favourites

Goes beyond merely fact-checking the mainstream media landscape and delves into how the news eco-system is influenced by dark money, policy institutes, institutional bias, and failures in reporting. Each episode targets a different, often decades-old trope, like unemployment or the war on drugs, and uncovers how questions in newspapers, magazines, and on television are framed to create a false narrative that makes the public believe there are only certain rational choices.

Recently, the voice of the show is representative of liberal bubble thinking. It admonishes moderate voters and uses holier than thou tones to deliver its view point. Vaguely references academic papers, etc without actually discussing the contents of such references, and presumes all academic output is valid, reproducible and without agenda, and cites them as if produced by flawed humans with uncertainty in results. It’s illustrative of the type of far left communication style that turns off more voters than it reaches. Instead of adding to electoral victories for anyone left of Mitt Romney, communication methods like this will instead alienate voters and send them to embrace the Right, exactly the opposite of the goal of these hosts. I cannot recommend this show to anyone.

This podcast is important, if any podcast can be. Nima and Adam are sharp, likable, and principled critics of mainstream (primarily US) culture, especially political and journalistic culture. Casual in tone, their analyses and interviews are nonetheless incredibly accessible, rigorous, clear-eyed, and timely. They come from an unapologetically left perspective but I think almost anyone could get something valuable out of this podcast.

Always an interesting episode and I always come away informed. Like the work so much I even support these guys on patreon.

This pod is a source of judicious political commentary. If a steady diet of lurid headlines and dishonest media framing is driving you towards delirium or despair, chill your feverish brain in the cool waters of Citations Needed.

They admit being left leaning but also claim they look at things objectively. They don’t. Another liberal podcast trying to claim they aren’t.

Avoid this at all costs. Adam and Nima have changed from being earnest researchers to dishonest, partisan hacks who selectively quote and misquote data points to promote the Democratic Party narrative at all costs. They’re a part of the military-industrial complex now, providing token critique firmly within acceptable limits. I gave this podcast a 5-star review once, and they deserved it several years ago. This is now one of the most atrocious, offensive false claims to investigative journalism I know of among podcasts.

An unabashed, intellectually honest, well researched and argued critique of media failure to challenge entrenched power.

There are many great podcasts, but none better than this one.

I’m a windows user and took the time to make an Apple ID for the sole reason of leaving this 5 star review. Citations Needed helps sift out the important issues facing our nation. Nima and Adam intelligently and objectively dissect the latest political and PR narratives with tact, facts and qualified guests, all with the right amount of humor to make hard truths digestible. If you’re a critical thinker looking for like minded individuals who aren’t trapped in an echo chamber, this podcast is for you. Citations needed has helped me to stay sane in today’s age of mind numbing nonsense and delusion. Support them on PATREON!

Excellent podcast. Well researched and presented. Its always great to go deeper into the issues and ideas of our current times. This one delivers!

I suppose one indicator of the quality here is that nary a show goes by without me saving the episode, the episode description, following the guest on Twitter or whatever and going down an entire rabbit hole there. Maybe 2-3% of the things Adam and Nima say I have skepticism about but it’s difficult to do so because they’re so incredibly painstaking with research and critical analysis. It is also nice that there are plenty of times to laugh because after all idiots do exist to be made fun of. In that vein, would enjoy Adam talking about his fun interactions on Twitter more often.

This show has been absolutely indispensable to my media diet. I started listening a year ago, and since then, I feel like I can more easily articulate the reasons why certain media tropes, language, and talking points are cultivating narratives that serve corporate interests. My roommates and I spend a lot of time talking through the propaganda that we encounter and have much sharper discussions about media narratives in pop culture and in traditional reporting. It’s now in my top 5 favorite podcasts.

Essential listening for people consuming lots of news, Adam and Nima provide great insight and interviews on the issues du jour

Great podcast, keep it up!

Important and insightful analysis, with excellent guests.

I’ve never bothered to leave a review for any podcast before. But man…the work these guys are doing at Citations Needed is astounding. It’s a breath of fresh air in a landscape crowded with tag lines, buzz words, agendas, and out of context clips. These guys put in the WORK required to investigate and explain the nuances, implications, and history of basically any contemporary political issue. Each episode is dense with knowledge and analysis of motivations and in depth reporting into what’s really going on behind the scenes. I don’t have a lot of time for podcasts anymore, but these guys have quickly been placed to the top of my queue. Their effort is incredible, and it shows.

One of my fav podcasts of all time

Nima and Adam, hosts of the Citations Needed podcast, highlight all aspects of media, PR, how they intersect and more in this can’t miss podcast! The hosts and expert guests offer insightful advice and information that is helpful to anyone that listens!

Amazing podcast to listen to while on the job!

When reading, it wouldn’t hurt to slow down a little. There are times when your words run together, because you’re reading so fast. Makes it hard to follow.

A Christmas Blimp sounds like a magical and wonderful Christmas movie! I loved this episode! You guys were so funny! Love the show. I would more episodes like this looking at cultural nuance, like country music and hallmark movies. Look into other strange American things! How about big, stupid cars? Or strip malls that all look the same!

Probably one of best podcasts out there for hard hitting critical analysis of important political issues. The hosts are sharp, witty, thoughtful, and good natured. And it’s clear they make great effort to bring on guests who are principled and dedicated activists, organizers, and intellectuals. If you are trying to make sense of our world, and especially if you are trying to change it, this podcast is for you.

Found this via The Dig. I sampled about 20, then just started from the beginning. I was always a scold, but now I’m better armed. Couldn’t recommend it enough.

I have listened to many left adjacent podcasts and this fills a unique lane that others do not.

We need more media across all mediums critical of the 5W questions (who, what, when, where, why). Citations Needed does more critical critique in an hour then most mass media corporations do in a day.

This podcast is probably the biggest tool in my toolbox when it comes to opening people eyes to subversive media tactics.

The team clearly puts a lot of effort and skill into each episode. The result is that each episode helps you draw connections between the US / corporate media, past and present, and the everyday lives of workers. This show has truly broadened both my self-awareness and my political awareness!

Insightful cutting analysis and critique

the podcast strikes the right balance for being captivating and entertaining, not insufferable like many podcasts that attempt to focus on similar subjects.

The folks at Citations Needed provide insight into a really broad range of important, underserved topics by digging into the meat of the issue while being completely accessible, easy to follow, and pretty entertaining. Highly, highly recommended.

Very interesting, funny, illuminating. Good hosts. Despite the usually dark subject matter, the show’s presentation is highly listenable.

Pog

good stuff fellas

This is by far the most valuable podcast i Listen to. Keep up the great work.

Listen to this podcast you won’t regret it.

I’m not even a USian and I still listened to almost all the episodes after discovering this podcast because wow, wow, wow! Adam

virtue signaling facists who think they are much smarter than they actually are. smugly moralistic but actually intolerant

Truly any awful podcast, just white men using quote on quote data to impose their opinions and maintain their power. They love to disempower lived experience with statements like actually if you look at the data… actually let’s use statistics. While data and statistics are powerful, they are ultimately still biased because their filtered through these white man perspective. They’re the ones that pick the statistics, choosing what story to create with their hand picked data. What a waste of time

My new favorite podcast for my long commute back to my in-person office: Lefty criticism of the media—both the press and pop culture—that’s informative, well researched, and presented in an easy-to-follow format by hosts who occasionally have me laughing out loud